Apparently there's been a raid by HMRC at Newcastle and West Ham. Charnley's been arrested. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...c-after-transfers-investigation-a7702521.html
Just heard on the radio, doesn't sound too good. I feel a points deduction and relegation coming on...
Christ, can you imagine? Hopefully it's just Charnley getting what's coming to him. Promotion *AND* the end of the Cockney Mafia. I'm forever an optimist.
please log in to view this image Official statement. I think Carr will become involved. Supposedly a lot of our French transfer dealings have been with specific agents and the HMRC statement ties in with this.
There could be a derby next season after all! Arf Arf! Seriously though, a slap on the wrist is all I would be expecting!
The statement isn't clear, but I'm hoping it is to do with individuals tax avoidance and not to do with transfers! If it is club business then we could looking at hefty fines/points deduction/transfer bans. Personally I believe the individuals involved should be punished, not the club as a whole, but it depends on what has actually happened.
It depends mate. We may be in for some 'club level punishment' if as a club we got some sort of advantage on the field from an individuals fiddles. Having said that, it is a criminal case so I hope it's just the individuals who will be prosecuted whoever they are. The scope of this looks quite big and I think there will be more than just NUFC and West Ham implicated.
If it is transfers and we've taken some kind of advantage we will likely get punished by at least a points deduction.
They have been fiddling the books to cover the payments of tax and national insurance. We haven't been paying tax on outgoing and incoming transfer. This is serious stuff. We can be relegated if serious enough.
Although they won the promotion play-offs, Swindon Town did not compete in the First Division during the following season. The 1989–90 season had seen the club charged with 36 breaches of Football League regulations[2] – 35 of which related to illegal payments made to players between 1985 and 1989. A hearing to decide the club's fate was scheduled for 4 May – before the play-offs began – but this was postponed on legal advice just days before it was due when Swindon chairman Brian Hillier, club accountant Vince Farrar and former team manager Lou Macari were all charged by police for "intent to defraud Inland Revenue by making payments without deducting tax or NI". (In July 1992 both Hillier and Farrar were found guilty of these charges, while Macari was cleared). Hillier and Macari had already been punished by the FA in February 1990 for their involvement in a £6,500 bet being placed on Swindon losing to Newcastle United in a tie during the 1987–88 FA Cup. The bet was successful and netted £4,000 winnings. As this activity ran counter to FA rules that forbid any bets by club officials or players on their own team, both were found guilty. Hillier was given a six-month suspension from football, but after he (unsuccessfully) appealed, the FA increased it to three years. Macari was fined £1,000 (upheld after his own appeal), and Swindon Town given a £7,500 fine. At a Football League hearing on 7 June, Swindon pleaded guilty to all 36 charges against them and admitted a further twenty. The league decreed that the club would be denied promotion and instead demoted to the Third Division. Six days later, it was announced that losing play-off finalists Sunderland would be instead promoted to the First Division. This was controversial as Newcastle felt that as they had finished third, three places above bitter rivals Sunderland, they should have been promoted instead. The FA's decision stood and Sunderland were promoted. Swindon launched a High Court appeal against the Football League's double demotion, claiming it to be "harsh, oppressive and disproportionate to previous penalties". However, within days they dropped this action and instead appealed directly to the FA. On 2 July an FA Appeal Panel reduced the punishment to the club simply remaining in the Second Division; Tranmere Rovers – the losing play-off finalists in the Third Division – who were to have replaced Swindon in the second level were therefore denied promotion.
These things take forever to resolve. Could be months, even years before any punishment is dished out.
I'll be thoroughly p!ssed off if we have to hand our Champion's League and Premier League trophies back in 2018.
If any punishment is dished out then it will be best for all involved that it is done asap. It'll be difficult to do business with this hanging over yous. The fans will demand to know the extent of the allegations asap as well.
What planet are these idiots on if they think they can 'hide' tax at a club of this size in the limelight? Twats. I hope he personally goes down for this. I just fear for the longer term impact on the club.
The Indy is reporting that other clubs are likely to be involved. This could open up a whole can of worms....
Sums up my feelings totally. I'm wondering if HRMC are taking a closer look at NUFC due to Fat Mike's slap down to Parliament over the SD investigations. If Charnley is guilty here he deserves to go down for a long time. If we as a club gained advantage due to his dealings (which is the point to debate) then unfortunately we deserve to be punished I'm afraid. I can honestly see us being made an example of here with a hefty points deduction which will mean we will stay in the Championship. At this point if course Rafa will walk away and I wouldn't blame him.